Deep through the heart of Texas: When a defense turns offensive

Remember when “Texas defense” wasn’t a contradiction in terms? Remember when a win over Notre Dame was a program-turning statement?

Both those things must seem a lifetime ago to Longhorns fans, and remember, that double-overtime win over Notre Dame took place less than a month ago.

A month and about a bazillion yards ago.

Texas gave up 555 yards in its 49-31 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday, and you could say that was an improvement. At halftime, the Cowboys were moving at a rate that would have taken them close to 800 yards for the game.

Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State’s quarterback, completed seven passes of 28 yards or more, finishing 19 for 28 for 392 yards and three touchdowns.

The Longhorns have given up 99 points in their last two games, and 146 points in three games against teams not from Texas El Paso.

The really crazy part: Texas has gained 568 total yards in each of its last two games — Saturday, and in a 50-43 loss to California two weeks ago.

That’s a lot of ground to cover to be 0-2.

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On the defensive

Texas isn’t the only top-tier program that is struggling on defense.

After not allowing as many 25 points in a regular-season game all last year, Florida State has given up 34 or more points to all four of its Football Bowl Subdivision opponents this season.

Opposing teams are averaging seven yards per play, and North Carolina — led by quarterback Mitch Trubisky — did better than that, averaging 7.7 yards per play in a 37-35 win.

Trubisky just might be sneaking into the Heisman conversation. He has completed 76% of his passes this season (133 for 175) for 1,711 yards and 13 touchdowns without an interception. He has a streak of 240 passes without a pick.

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Coast to coast

Vin Scully is popular everywhere, even within the Maryland football program.

DJ Durkin, the Terrapins’ first-year coach, sent a package to the Dodgers this week: a Maryland football helmet and a note congratulating the announcer on “your legendary career and the celebration of your final broadcast. We are honored to have been part of your first!”

A Los Angeles Times article about Scully’s broadcasting debut prompted the gesture. Scully was 21 when he described the action from a Maryland versus Boston University football game on Nov. 12, 1949, from the roof of Fenway Park.

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Comeback kids

These Tennessee rallies are getting ridiculous.

The undefeated Volunteers are 5-0, and in four of those games they have trailed by at least 10 points.

Opener against Appalachian State, down, 13-3, in the second quarter; won, 20-13. Against Virginia Tech, down, 17-0, in the first quarter; won, 45-24; Last week against Florida, down, 21-0, in the second quarter; won, 38-28.

And, of course, down, 17-0, in the second quarter to Georgia — and trailing by a field-goal before the game’s final play — Tennessee rallied for a 34-31 win by scoring on a 43-yard Hail Mary with no time on the clock.

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Catching on

Syracuse wide out Amba Etta-Tawo, a graduate transfer from Maryland, started Saturday with a nation-best 706 yards receiving, and he had 134 yards and a touchdown in seven catches against Notre Dame.

He now has 47 receptions for 840 yards and six touchdowns in four games this season. In three seasons at Maryland he had 61 catches for 938 yards and three touchdowns.

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Game on

Penn State’s home game against Minnesota started on time, and came off without a hitch, after a threat involving Beaver Stadium was investigated with several “exhaustive” searches of the area.

The school publicized the threat, without providing details, while noting that police and safety officials had given “an all-clear” for the game.

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Leader of the Pac

Washington’s 44-6 win over Stanford on Friday night marked a record margin of victory for the Huskies over a top 10-ranked team. And that made Coach Chris Petersen as excited as he ever gets.

The typically understated coach acknowledged that the win was “special” and his team had taken “a good step forward,” though he prefaced the latter remark by saying, “We’re still a work in progress, but …”

A little later, he was typical Peterson, with this observation: “We didn’t get any trophies for winning tonight.”

One thing the coach can’t deny is his Huskies are fast starters. Washington, which led Stanford, 23-0, at halftime — has outscored the opposition, 120-3, in the first half this season — 58-0 in the first quarter, 62-3 in the second.

And the defense? Washington had eight sacks against Stanford, the most the Huskies have had in a game since they played Wyoming in 2002.

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One-liners

Texas A&M is off to a 5-0 start for the third consecutive season — the first time that’s happened since 1939-41 — but the last two seasons the Aggies have faded to 3-5 finishes. … Oklahoma, which defeated Texas Christian, 52-46, has won 36 consecutive regular-season games following a regular-season loss. … Nebraska has avenged 2015 losses to Northwestern and Illinois in the last two weeks and has a similar opportunity in the middle of this month when it has back-to-back games against Purdue and Wisconsin. … Ohio State is the only team in major-college football that, through four games, has not allowed a rushing touchdown. … Brad Kaaya, a junior out of West Hills Chaminade High, threw the 50th touchdown pass of his Miami career and is third on the Hurricanes’ career list behind only Ken Dorsey (86) and Jacory Harris (70). … Miami wore decals on the back of its helmets — the letters JF and the number 16 in white over a black background — in honor of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died last week in a boating accident. … Notre Dame receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, a sophomore from Anaheim Servite High, had four catches for 182 yards, including touchdowns covering 79 and 67 yards, all in the first half against Syracuse.

Times wire services contributed information used in this report.

mike.hiserman@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeHiserman